[Book Two] After facing the truth and accepting her new life, Milaia must embark on a dangerous quest to reach the Tree of Life to save her former kingdom and her true love, with the help of a ruthless ally who may be more important than she realize...
But it was hard to accept that I had to sacrifice so much, and so many. That never seemed fair.
How much more would I have to give for the role I had been chosen for?
We arrived at a white tent, the entrance to which was slightly open. Tryx let me in and I entered the place filled with beds, where people were recovering.
It broke my heart to see familiar faces from my Kingdom. These people had left their homes, they had fought for me without knowing me. I owed them everything, I owed them back what had been taken from them.
So I swore an oath to myself before I took the one as Queen.
My happy ending could wait, I cared more about them having one. I was not more important than the others, I never wanted to feel that way. Even if everyone said so, even if the Gods themselves proclaimed it, I would always, inside me, be just Milaia.
Tryx took me to the back. Some recognised me and looked at me with a mixture of sadness and disappointment. I didn't blame them, they had every reason to be upset.
Old Sir Oskel was on one of the beds in the back. I noticed at once what it had cost him to be there. A large scar stretched from his forehead to his chin, one of his eyes compromised. A fingernail scratch, but not human, a bird's fingernail.
He had fought against Rythel. His own friend, his comrade, had betrayed him as he had betrayed me.
And all for what? For power? Was it worth that much?
'Sir Oskel, Her Majesty has returned,' Tryx whispered to him.
I thought he wouldn't react, but my mention made his eyes go wide.
'Her Majesty?'
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He took my hand and pulled me close to him.
I never thought he liked me until the second his gaze met mine.
I always felt he judged me for being young and inexperienced, as if he expected me to be just like my father had been. And I knew I could never be like him.
But in that moment, I could see he really valued me.
'The Gods kept me alive to see you again, bless them.'
I squeezed his hand tightly.
'I am so sorry Sir Oskel. This is all my fault. It is my fault for listening to the wrong advice of a seer. It is my fault for leaving a Kingdom that needed me all alone. It is...'
'You have nothing to explain. If you left you must have had a good reason. It is not your fault. We must apologise to you. My promise as Comrade was to assist her Majesty no matter what the circumstances, and we failed you, we lost control of your Kingdom. We should never have trusted him...'
